A Heap of Anime Updates Dropped During the Festive Season

The Yuletide season offer a multitude of pursuits much better than scanning the latest news: unwrapping gifts, indulging in festive fare, and using patience techniques to not yelling at family members. Hopefully you managed to enjoy all these things and more. Nevertheless, the world of entertainment never sleeps, and this is particularly true for the realm of anime. A slew of thrilling developments emerged during the holidays, and just in case you missed a few, here is a summary of the biggest bits.

The One-Punch Man Series Season 3 Is Moving Forward (By 2027)

Truly the most surprising piece of news, the widely-criticized disaster that was season 3 of One-Punch Man wasn't enough to deter further production. The show will return with a subsequent part in 2027—so far away they could have labeled it season 4. Adding to the surprise, animation studio J.C. Staff will continue to be at the helm. Thankfully this time, director Shinpei Nagai is on board to direct from the beginning, which could be taken as a positive development. Yet, the main art for the new episodes is the same image the one used for season 3, just with characters Saitama and Garou facing different directions. This makes me think that, at this point, they could be trolling the fans.

Ruri Dragon Is Poised to Be the Premiere Shonen Jump Anime By Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation has established a standing for being an prestigious animation studio, making its mark not just for the exceptional quality of its productions but for the good working conditions of its employees—a sadly unusual standard in the industry. Curiously, until now, it had not adapted an anime stemming from a manga serialized in Shonen Jump, perhaps the most iconic magazine in the business. Ruri Dragon will end that streak, and what a great choice it is. The manga by Masaoki Shindo became a huge following when it launched in 2022 after just a handful of installments, but then went into a lengthy break due to the creator's health issues. When it came back with a more relaxed pace, the series showed it still retained the fans' appreciation and goodwill, and now fans are ecstatic about the impending KyoAni adaptation.

The Kingdom Series Season 6 Is Getting a Follow-Up Now in the Works

Kingdom is the top-selling, epic Shueisha manga that is other than One Piece. If you've never heard of it before, it's because it only just received an English release, but the anime has been going on for years, and its sixth season was another stellar entry. It turns out that was just the initial batch, because a "sequel" has been announced as in production, and it will very likely debut in 2026.

Science Saru Is Bringing A Witch in Mongolia Into an Anime Series

Another studio known for the superior craftsmanship of its projects, Science Saru has given us masterpieces of the ilk of Space Dandy, Devilman Crybaby, and, more recently, Dandadan. This time, the studio will be taking on the adaptation of Tomato Soup's manga A Witch's Life in Mongol, based on the actual historical person of Fatima, an powerful woman and scholar in the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. From the trailer, the anime called Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia will have a distinctly fresh and captivating visual style, which reminds me a bit of Ranking of Kings. Scheduled to launch in July 2026, this one will absolutely be on my watchlist.

Tougen Anki Will Continue With a Season Two

Shortly after the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was revealed that Tougen Anki will be receiving a follow-up. Inspired by the Japanese legend of Momotaro, Tougen Anki adapts the manga by Yura Urushibara. The new season of the anime will delve into the Nikko Kegon Falls Arc, but a specific air date has yet to be revealed.